Artificial limb



l- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A.. WINKLEY, OF FARIBAULT, MIINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LlMB.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,239, dated October 11, 1887.

Application tiled April 23, 1887. Serial No. 235,901. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The shoulderstraps usually employed for maintaining an articial limb in position are a source of much discomfort to the Wearer,owing to the fact that they shift their position during the movements of the wearer, and create thereby an unpleasant friction and rubbing of his person.

It is the object of my invention to so contrive and connect the shoulder-straps as to euable them to properly support the limb and at the same time permit of the greatest freedom of motion of the limb or ot' the wearers body without any displacementofsaid straps, all as will be hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the application of my invention to an artificial limb intended for use in the case of an amputation below the knee. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the mode of connecting the adjustable cord to the elastic webbing; Fig. 3, a similar view showing .the mode of connecting the said cord to the upper socket of the artificial limb. Fig. 4 is a view showing the application of the invention to an artificial limb intended for use in the case of an amputation above the knee. f

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The artificial limb shown in Fig. 1 is one made in accordance with my patent, No. 316,589, dated April 28,1885, and needs no particular description herein.

A represents a strap of elastic webbing that passes over the shoulder of the wearer, and B another strap of similar material that passes around the wearer-s body and connects at opposite ends to the front and rear portions of the strap A, as shown. The lower ends of the strap A are provided with slides or loops C, which may be of leather, metal, or other material,but are preferably formed of leather,and united by suitable rivets or stitches to the webbing. Through these loops or slides C C passes a cord, D, which also passes through elongated curved loops or guides E, formed upon or secured to the upper socket, G, of the artificial limb on opposite sides thereof, as shown in Fig. l. This cord D is free to slide through both the loops C and E, and in the movements of the limb or of the wearer-s body it does so slide, thereby enabling the strap A to accommodate itselfto such movements without being itself shifted from its position on the wearers shoulder, and consequently wit-hout causing the slightest irritation or discomfort to the wearer.

It is essential that the loops or guides E on the socket should be sutciently long to present an extended smooth bearing to the cord D, and prevent the same from being pinched, bound, or otherwise interfered with in its back and forth movements. By preference I construct these loops or guides E of leather and secure them to the socket G by stitches or rivets; but they may be made ot' metal or other suitable material; or pulleys may be substituted in their stead in order to reduce friction to the minimum.

Where my invention is applied'to an artificial limb sueh as shown in Fig. 4, intended for use where there has been an amputation above the knee, an eXtra strap is applied to the inner changsoeket, H, and passed up over the other shoulder of the wearer.

While my invention is especially applicable to artiticial limbs `such as are covered by my former patenthereinbefore referred to,Ido not intend to be understood as limiting its application thereto, sinceit maybe used in connection wiih other styles of artilicial limbs with the same advantageous results.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with the depending ends of the shoulderstrap and guides on the artificial limb, ofthe self-adjusting cont-inuous connectingAcoi-d, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the depending ends of the shoulder-straps carrying the loops or slides, of the elongated loops or'guides on the artificial limb and the self-adjusting connectingcord, substantially as described.

ALBERT A. VINKLEY.

Witnesses:

A. D. KEYES, D. H. CAREY. 

